Rockaway Stories: Lessons Learned

RWA collected stories from across the Rockaway Peninsula to document what happened in local neighborhoods affected by Storm Sandy and build on a collaborative vision for future rebuilding efforts in the Rockaways.

Rockaway Waterfront Alliance (RWA) took on the "Rockaway Stories" documentary to capture lessons learned from Storm Sandy.The film was done to elevate local voices, especially those of Rockaways youth and document progress made in rebuilding efforts.

As part of this project, young adults from the RWA urban planning program worked with professional writers, filmmakers and photographers to collect both written and visual interviews of residents, business owners, and city workers about their personal experiences before, during and after the storm to assess what steps can be taken to make the Rockaway community more resilient to future storms.

On May 5th, Rockaway Stories premiered in the MOMA PS1 Dome in Rockaway, giving the students, mentors and trainers on the project an opportunity to share the project with the public.

A few weeks later, the RWA students went to Harvard University's Graduate Program for Urban Planning to present the film to a panel of experts focused on rebuilding and planning efforts in NYC.

Many of the students written stories are published in "The Rockaways" a book published by Concord Press about the aftermath of Storm Sandy.

Success Stories:

Meet Gale

Gale is the parent of two elementary school children who have taken part in the RWA Aqua 101 Summer Program for three consecutive years. Gale has seen a real impact on her children's lives through RWA programs. Hear more about Gale's story.